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” NO-EL “

ATTENTION: PEOPLE’S TONIGHT DeskRyan Ponce PacpacoAugust 24STORY #3 “NO-EL”OPPOSITION and administration House leaders joined forces yesterdayin opposing the possibility of no elections in 2016 as suggested, butlater recanted by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, stressingit is even condemnable to make a joke out of it.House independent bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand MartinRomualdez, Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. and House DeputyMinority Leader and Isabela Rep. Rodolfo “Rodito” Albano III stressedthe people would not allow a “no-el” scenario as this would destroythe very essence of the country’s democracy.“Even if they were testing the waters, such idea is condemnable tothe highest degree. You can’t even joke it because this is a veryhighly sensitive matter. This should have not been floated becausethis is a direct affront and serious threat to the country’sdemocracy,” Romualdez, a lawyer and president of the PhilippineConstitution Association (Philconsa), pointed out as he warned of“chaos because the people will be opposing the idea (no elections)vehemently.After Lacierda recanted his statement, Presidential CommunicationsOperations Office Sec. Herminio Coloma Jr. clarified that ano-election scenario never crossed the mind of President Benigno“Noynoy” Aquino III.Belmonte, vice chairman of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) and mainadvocate of economic Charter change (Cha) that Philconsa is backing,agreed with Romualdez, saying the people within the President’s circleshould not float a “no-el” scenario because it would not do good forthe country’s stability.“We can’t afford that (no elections),” Belmonte stressed.For his part, Albano expressed belief that the government would notsucceed from suspending the 2016 presidential polls even if they areserious about it, adding the people behind President’s circle shouldnot put to waste the good achievements of the Aquino administration.“Hindi siguro, hindi nila magagawa. Magkakagulo ‘yan kasi inaasahan ngtaumbayan na magkakaroon tayo ng eleksiyon ngayong 2016. Kungmagkakaroon ng no-el, magagalit ang taumbayan sa kanila. Lahat ngginawang kabutihan nitong pamahalaan na ito masasayang. It will godown the drain,” Albano, an advocate of Cha-cha through Constituentassembly, told Rowena Salvacion’s radio morning program over dzBByesterday.With the no-el scenario story coming from the Palace people, Albanosaid they are harming the President whose popularity dropped in thelatest popularity surveys.“Pinapahamak nila si P-Noy in the sense na baka naman tini-test langnila ‘yong waters. Ganyan talaga ang trabaho ng presidentialspokesman. Magsasabi ang presidential spokesman para i-test nila ‘yungwaters, ‘yung public opinion. Pag-adverse ang reaction ng mamamayan,sasabihin ni Presidente, ay hindi ko panukala ‘yan. Kathang isip langnina Lacierda at (Interior and Local government Secreray) Mar Roxas‘yan. Pero ‘pag maganda ang dating sa tao, sasabihin ni Presidente,sigurado kailangan nating makinig sa ating mga bosses (masses),”Albano stressed.(RPP)